A common flushing apparatus for toilets invloves a reseating flush valve that holds a large volume of supply water in a tank from which it is suddenly released into the toilet bowl. And, a float valve is responsive to the water level in the tank to replace the water level, operating automatically and separately from the flush valve that is manually operated by movement of a flush handle or lever that is turned to lift the flush valve. A detrimental feature of this common system is that the flush valve tends to and eventually leaks, resulting in continued water waste.
Another flushing apparatus, common in the United Kingdom, involves a syphon tube having its suction leg depending into the supply tank so as to be filled with water, and its discharge leg normally empty of water and opening into the toilet bowl, and operated by means of a primer pump that is manually actuated to fill the discharge leg thereby initiating syphoning. The said primer pump operates as a water lifting means in the suction leg of the syphon, and the advantage of this syphon system is that there can be no leakage from the supply tank through the inactive syphon. However, the pump means gradually deteriorates and requires repeated cycles of operation in order to complete a flushing of the toilet, and eventually becomes inoperative.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of this invention to employ the aforesaid syphon tube flush principle of operation to the exclusion of a pump means, and replacing the aforesaid pump-type primer means with a tank-type primer means and flush valve, all in combination with an otherwise conventional toilet.
The syphon principle of operation is superior with respect to the conservation of water, in that there can be no continuous leakage therethrough when its discharge leg is empty of water. And, only when the discharge leg is primed does water flow therethrough. On the contrary, the conventional flush valve principle of operation is prone to continuous leakage from the water supply tank and through the flush tube, due to deterioration of either the valve seat or valve ball. It becomes apparent therefore that the syphon principle is superior, except for the inevitable deterioration of the pump means therefor which typically deteriorates and requires repeated cycles of operation in order to complete a flushing of the toilet, and inevitably becomes inoperative.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of this invention to employ the aforesaid syphon tube flush principle of operation to the exclusion of a pump means, and replacing the aforesaid pump-type primer means with a tank-type primer means and flush valve, all in combination with an otherwise conventional toilet.
The syphon principle of operation is superior with respect to the conservation of water, in that there can be no continuous leakage therethrough when its discharge leg is empty of water. And, only when the discharge leg is primed does water flow therethrough and through the flush tube. On the contrary, the conventional flush valve principle of operation is prone to continuous leakage from the water supply tank and through the flush tube, due to deterioration of either the valve seat or valve ball. It becomes apparent therefore that the syphon principle is superior, except for the inevitable deterioration of the pump means thereof which is typically a flap or disc of flexible material that lifts the tank water into the syphon and initiates continued flow therethrough until the water supply tank is emptied through the flush tube. Accordingly, these two widely used principles of operation are each subject to deficiencies, one to inherent leakage and the other to eventual inoperation. In view of the foregoing, it is an object of this invention to provide a toilet flushing apparatus that virtually eliminates leakage of the flush water, and that provides automatic refilling of the primer tank for repeated flushings.
It is to be understood that the water supply tank is refilled after each flushing operation, or incomplete flushing operation, by means of a conventional and accepted water level responsive valve means from a water supply service pipe. in practice, a float controlled valve returns the tank water level to the bridge of the syphon after each flushing operation, complete or imcomplete. And, it is this maintained water level that automatically refills the primer tank.
The syphon principle of operation is characterized by two conditions, a passive condition wherein the discharge leg is dry, and a functioning condition wherein the discharge leg is wet. In order to achieve said wet condition, priming is required for filling the otherwise dry discharge leg with water, whereby syphoning action is initiated and continues to occur. It is an object of this invention to prime the syphon tube by discharging a relatively small volume of water through the flush tube so as to initiate the syphon effect. In practice, flooding of the syphon discharge leg enables the syphon to function with a downward velocity of water suddenly dumped therethrough. Accordingly, the apparatus herein disclosed is characterized by a manually actuated primer means, preferably a vertical discharge primer tank, that dumps into and floods the flush tube.
The sudden discharge of primer tank water into the flush tube is a prerequisite to successful flushing, and to this end it is an object of this invention to provide flush valve control means by which primer tank water is withheld from discharge until the primer tank is sufficiently raised to establish the requisite head of water necessary to initiate the syphon effect and ensure its continued function.
The sudden termination of primer tank water discharge and closure of the syphon to atmosphere is also a prerequisite to successful flushing, and to this end it an object of this invention to provide flush valve control means by which the flush valve closes as and when the primer tank water is depleated, thereby shutting off the outside atmosphere for continued syphoning, The flush valve is a conventional floating ball type valve. In practice, the aforesaid means by which primer tank water is witheld involves lift means by which the primer tank is raised, and shut off means by which the flush valve is closed. As will be described, the primer tank is raised by a lever operated toggle with a sear that lifts and drops the flush valve onto a seat that opens into the syphon discharge leg to initiate continued syphoning.
In a second basic form (FIGS. 11 to 14) the primer tank is fixed and flushing control relegated to the flush valve. Whereas the primer tank is immersed in the first described form, it is simply raised in the second form, and reliant upon timed supply of float valve filling of the supply tank. However, in the event of a flush valve leak or malfunction, the primer tank water can be lost in this second embodiment. But, only a small quantity of water can be wasted. A feature of both embodiments is the floating flush valve that inherently reseats.